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Education
News
Get the latest education news
and headlines here! Please note that some of
these links may expire after a week or
so, and some of the sites might ask you to
register the first time you visit.
States Found to Vary Widely
on Education
The New York Times
Academic standards vary so drastically from state to state that a fourth grader judged proficient in reading in MS or TN would fall far short of that mark in MA and SC, the US Department of Education said in a report that, for the first time, measured the extent of the differences.
Education Law Up for
Renewal; Teachers Leery
NPR.org
The No Child Left Behind Act is up for renewal in Congress, and whether it is working remains in question. A new study shows test scores are rising. But it's unclear whether the education law should get the credit. For many educators, the verdict on the law is undetermined.
School Reverses 'No Diplomas
for Cheering' Decision
CNN.com
Galesburg High School officials said they would issue diplomas to the five students who were denied them over cheering during the May 27 graduation commencement, a violation of a school policy aimed at restoring graduation decorum.
New Way to Teach Math
Doesn't Add Up
NorthJersey.com
High-achieving parents are worried that non-traditional math lessons will cause their children to fall behind, and are demanding a return to the basics.
Some Georgia school districts
to offer Bible classes
CNN
Georgia's public schools walk a delicate line as they decide whether to offer the nation's first state-funded Bible classes -- measuring the difference between preaching and teaching with the likelihood of costly lawsuits looming for those that miss the mark.
Questions/Ideas?
Would you like to contribute an article or share helpful
information for teachers? Contact us at webmaster@virtualeduc.com and let us know! We're listening :o)
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Dear [member_name_first],
Summer has finally arrived! Encourage your students keep their reading skills sharp by recommending some great summer books. You can find a list of recommendations by grade level on the Teacher Vision website. Encourage parents to keep their children reading by involving them in a summer reading program at your local library. Most public libraries have terrific summer reading programs that are designed to keep kids interested and motivated to read through various rewards or incentives.
If you are not heading off for vacation, teaching summer school, or catching up with your continuing education requirements (we can help with that--view a list of our courses here), consider a global adventure this summer. The World Teach website offers teaching opportunites all over the world during the summer months. You can teach children in South Africa or young adults in Pohnpei--or just about anyone and anywhere in between. World Teach is a nonprofit organization with a number of openings that can have you teaching across the globe as soon as mid-June.
Hooking Struggling Readers
Using Books They Can and Want to Read
by Lori Jamison Rog and Paul Kropp
 Abstract: One of the keys to helping struggling readers is to provide them with books that they can and want to read. Fiction for struggling readers must have its own textual integrity: realistic characters, readable and convincing text, and a sense of the readers' interests and needs. Texts such as non-fiction books, newspapers, magazines and even comic books can also hook students into reading.
Charles is a struggling reader. Like three out of four children with reading difficulties, Charles is a boy. He started school with limited experience with print, struggled through activities with letters and sounds, and tended to be “off task” when there was independent reading time. He learned in second grade to have his reading buddy do most of the reading. By third grade, when most of his classmates were fairly fluent, Charles was still guessing at words, using picture clues and avoiding books whenever he could. In fourth grade, when the illustrations were gone, Charles was in obvious trouble.
Click
here
to read the full text of this article
(word format).
Lori Jamison Rog is K-12 Language Arts Consultant for the Regina Public Schools, Regina, Saskatchewan and author of Early Literacy Instruction in Kindergarten (IRA). Paul Kropp is the author of more than fifty books for young people, including thirty books for reluctant readers.
Visit their website: www.hip-books.com
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Click
here to view a full course description
and syllabus »
Register today!
Call VESi at
1-800-313-6744
for more information. |
To
gain a better understanding of how to lay the foundation for reading instruction, register
today
for:
Reading Fundamentals #1-#3
This
three-course series focuses on topics including scientifically-based research, effective reading instruction best practices, and the elements of effective reading instruction and assessment. To see a full course description of each course, and to view a syllabus, click here.
*See below for a list of our university partners that currently offer this course series. |
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VESi
News
Online
Courses - VESi courses will be available
online by Fall 2007! We are excited about this development
because online courses will allow students to work
on their course from any computer at any location.
Additionally, student scores will be safe and secure
even if the computer they are using crashes because
they will be stored and backed up on our servers
instead of the student computer.
New Course - Infant and Toddler Mental Health has been released. This course is designed to help educators achieve a better understanding of infant and toddler mental health, child development, and strategies that can be used to promote positive relationships with children and their families. To view a course syllabus, click here.
Courses
in the Works - We are continually
developing new courses to meet your continuing education
needs. Courses we are currently working on include
Educational Psychology and Self-Care for Clergy. As each course
is released, we will announce it in the monthly newsletter.
*Adams State College, Augustana College, Ashland University, Colorado State University, Delta State University, CSU-Dominguez Hills, Morningside College, Ohio University, Old Dominion University, Seattle Pacific University, College of St. Catherine, University of California, San Diego, University of North Carolina, Wilmington, University of Southern Mississippi, University of the Pacific, University of Wisconsin-Platteville, Valdosta State University, Wayne State College
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